|  | 2.2 |
Full-Duplex Transmitting, Fast Ethernet Standard and LAN Segmentation
| 2.2.2 | LAN segmentation
A network can be divided into smaller units called segments. Each segment uses the CSMA/CD access method and maintains traffic between users on the segment. Figure shows an example of a segmented Ethernet network. The entire network has 15 computers (6 file severs and 9 PCs). By using segments in a network, fewer users/devices are sharing the same 10 Mbps when communicating to one another within the segment. Each segment is its own collision domain. By dividing the network into three segments, a network manager can decrease network congestion within each segment. When transmitting data within a segment, the five devices within each segment are sharing the 10-Mbps bandwidth per segment. In a segmented Ethernet LAN, data passed between segments is transmitted on the backbone of the network using a bridge, router, or switch.